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Friday, May 30, 2014

As you may know, whenever I go Bar Fishing for King Salmon on the Skeena River, I am armed with at least one main hand stitching project and a good book. Sometimes, it can take hours to get a bite and then other times its so busy with bites I never get to work on any stitching.

They sat until this week, when cleaning out my sewing studio, I bumped the drawer these were sitting in a drawer marked "Mad About Patchwork" and I saw them again with new eyes.

Mad About Patchwork has lots of solid colors and these are going to be my next crazy quilt. I'm thinking "Crazy Dresden Plates" and this kind of stitching will pop in and surprise you.

I'm so proud of this small group, who with few funds, they are into recycling, reuse and new! Quilters are born. This quilt is so beautiful and anything you'd like to donate to this group, you can mail to me and I'll take it over. Its amazing and so rewarding to help these ladies learn the art of quilting.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

We decided to take a little trip to Owen Lake, near Houston, B.C. When you leave Houston, a mill town, the Main Line Logging Road follows the Morice River for many kilometers. The Morice River, swelled with spring run off is one of the rivers that will be affected by the proposed Gateway Pipeline by Enbridge, Inc.

I truly love camping. We tented for a long time, but as you get older, simply sleeping on a comfy and secure camper bed becomes more appealing.

I had just opened up my camera case, when we saw a bear up ahead. I quickly zoomed in on it as it will be running soon. Bears if left alone don't care to interact with us and I'd had to act fast.

I was ready with rapid shooting mode, I was so lucky to get two good photos of this young black bear. But then he was gone!

Gone, gone in one leap!

That's got to be 10 ft or more he jumped.

When we arrived to the Owen Lake B.C. Recreation Site, which is a free site that is only serviced with camping sites, toilets without toilet paper for most and a boat launch and a creaky dock that looked a little sketchy.

We arrived to a lake blowing up and it was too rough to launch our boat. So we waited at our site for several hours chatting away!

Our sweet girl Rusty is thrilled with our decision and grooving at a new place to investigate!

We finally got the boat in after supper and look what I caught, a nice 6 lb Lake Trout. We like to think of this fish as an inland halibut its so good. And of course, I always catch the first one!

This lake is so pure without much development on its shores, no pollution, its really the best! The beavers are well, happy and thriving in this ecosystem. This one even looked back as I took this photo!

Last night on the lake, the evening was brisk and cool and by morning, the lake was a summer retreat of fun temperatures! He is my hubby Rick caught another nice Lake Trout.

Some of our neighbors had a chopping wood tournament as the families arrived and set up camp for the long weekend.

Happy Quilting! This was our long weekend, what was your long weekend like?

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Hello readers and bloggers alike!

I'm always looking for ways to invite my readers to know more about my local area. We live in one of the little secrets of living in British Columbia, Canada. We are proud to be the most popular province to live in for weather, climate diversity, recreational opportunities and we have many amenity migrants flocking in to our area.

If you travel by road from Calgary, Alberta, you'll travel through the entire Canadian Rockies, across grasslands and forest with logging and waterfalls, mudslides and mosquito's.

You'd pass right on through a lovely little village of Fort Fraser, where a quilt guild of 30 members manages to organize and host the annual Fort Fraser Quilt Guild Show of member and guest quilts. Its impressive beyond anything I've seen in years. This beautiful Bargello Heart is made Terri-Lynne Godwin.

Below is one crazy farm quilt and I love it, its one of my fav's of the show. Regina was a really nice host as was Michelle.

Again, this stunning little cutie of scraps and a few pet friendly silhouettes! Gorgeous as I love scrappy quilts. This cutie is named "I Love U all! and check out the hand embroidery on the hearts.

Then for a small membership, these ladies do pack a punch with so many gorgeous personal quilts made my members and friends.

This eye catching log cabin number with maple leaf blocks and a elk buck in the medallion style center block, great quilt made by Terri Lynne Godwin again.

These ladies are super machines at making donation quilts going to local and regional charities dealing with elder care. One super quilter member is their mentor Alicen Weibe, aged 92 yrs old and one of the founding members made 30 of the 78 donation quilts. A personal best maybe or else, we all better find out what her secret is!!

Now, this might not be a feat for a large city, but for a population of 950, its a miracle!

Now forgive for this next photo, I missed getting the name of this quilter. I just love the bright tropical and modern style colored prints! Please do tell me who made this, if you are from the Fraser Lake or Fort Fraser, please leave me a comment?

Regina has been a busy quilter with her Christmas new duds in table runners and matching wall quilt. Elegant and welcoming!

And then as we wandered around checking out all the quilts, I spotted this lovely scrappy hexie quilt! Again, its one of Regina's....talented lady!

This lovely fall tones geometric quilt caught my attention and realised it is one made another quilter friend, Juanita.

And Debby made this cute snowman quilt. Its the "Hot Chocolate Club" pattern, when I searched online, I couldn't find the designer. If you know please leave a comment so everyone can know :)

This stunning quilt named Gift Quilt by Lynnia is also one of my fav's. So many wonderful quilters, a lovely day and so much to see.

I was really pumped to see a cute zippered bag made by Regina from some of the organic cotton from DaisyJanie.com

And this wild earthy assortment from Debby again is lovely! This group is so motivated and this guild is well stocked with leadership.

Oops, I forgot to get the name of this quilter and love the black background!

Regina made this leaf assortment. Fresh picked fall leaves reminds to get busy in the garden. Before we know it, the cool fall winds will bring winter again.

What an engaging and prolific group with this history of donation quilts, I can only imagine how many quilts they have donated over 20 years of a guild. Its one of the most well run guilds in Northern B.C.

Regina holds another of her scrappy quilts, she as frugal as me and love using up scraps.

I'm ending with a bow tie donation quilt that is using up scraps and is lovely way to say good bye from the quilters in Fraser Lake, Fort Fraser and Burns Lake.

I'm back to gardening again today and working on a skirt, if I can find the pattern!! I know Anne reads my blog and this is why you don't have the skirt yet :)

I'm reading an interesting book called "Speaking My Truth- Reflections on Reconciliation & Residential School" my friend Myrtle gave it to me so I can learn more about what really happened with the deplorable residential school system that exists for over a 100 years in Canada. Learning about how children were taken, schooled and raised in barrack style school settings with no contact with their families and the abuse that occurred is sickening.

I'm a white women with an First Nations soul. I feel their pain, but cannot imagine how that must have felt like for thousands of First Nations children to be removed, abused and separated for years at a time. I want to help in some small way and I think learning more about forgiving, empowering myself and others is an important step for me to take.

Now, just to be clear, I'm not paid to promote this site or any of its offerings. Its just simply something that I can do to help others discover the wealth of knowledge from the 100 audio recordings that I'll have access to with the premium registration.

As you know I have begun a new journey with back pain. I've come to learn over the last year that some days, I'm not doing much and then other days, I can take a walk and really enjoy the journey. I had very good intentions of completing my newest modern quilt, but it will have to become a pattern. So in the long run, I have a plan for progress and to help me stay focused on the important things like the following. I used Louise Hay's affirmations to help me create this list.

Stretch muscles unused recently to wake them up.

Enjoy this day!

Prepare bed for tomatoes.

Sit and enjoy the birds song.

Weed the Tayberries.

Relax with some hand stitching down my the river.

Enjoy time with my husband.

Drink more water every day!

I do hope that you'll join me in releasing the negative thoughts and embrace new ways of thinking about yourself as a vessel for goodness!

All the very best for all of you who read my little posts regularly and infrequently! You never know when a good idea strikes you!

Monday, May 19, 2014

I've read many books over the years to gain self help with life issues that we all have at one time or another. The most recent action I've taken is to join up with a Premium registration to Hay House World Summit 2014 which runs from May 31 to June 9th.Now, just to be clear, I'm not paid to promote this site or any of its offerings. Its just simply something that I can do to help others discover the wealth of knowledge from the 100 audio recordings that I'll have access to with the premium registration.

I first learned of Louise Hay a few years ago when a friend of mine mailed me a copy of one of her books. I love this affirmation below. I embeded this post from Louise Hays FB page. She allows others to share what she posts in any website. Thanks Louise!

As you know I have begun a new journey with back pain. I've come to learn over the last year that some days, I'm not doing much and then other days, I can take a walk and really enjoy the journey. I had very good intentions of completing my newest modern quilt, but it will have to become a pattern. So in the long run, I have a plan for progress and to help me stay focused on the important things like the following. I used Louise Hay's affirmations to help me create this list.

Stretch muscles unused recently to wake them up.

Enjoy this day!

Prepare bed for tomatoes.

Sit and enjoy the birds song.

Weed the Tayberries.

Relax with some hand stitching down my the river.

Enjoy time with my husband.

Drink more water every day!

I do hope that you'll join me in releasing the negative thoughts and embrace new ways of thinking about yourself as a vessel for goodness!

All the very best for all of you who read my little posts regularly and infrequently! You never know when a good idea strikes you!

Friday, May 16, 2014

I'm so pleased to write this post and tell you about the wedding day and my lovely friends who became husband and wife. We know both of these young people and believe they will make a great pair and we'll see them often.

Our lifestyles in this beautiful valley are unique for sure and many of us are leaving behind the conventions of large and expensive weddings. These two friends made such a gorgeous day and lots good time with a simple and modern country wedding.

The look of love on Micaela's face spells a wedding in our future I'd say, but shoosh! Micaela is our oldest son Jon's girlfriend. Our youngest son looks on with a smile on his face. The quilt on the wall is one of mine to celebrate recent renovations to Round Lake Hall.

Cristina coming down the isle on her own, she is lovely in her beaded simple, but stunning strapless gown!

Cristina has a great sense of humor and this shows it! A modern country wedding is about laying back, enjoying a few beers and having a good time.

Jordon and Cristina exchanging their vows and rings! Happy couple, congrats you two. I'll show you guys a photo of Jordon and Cristina with their wedding quilt really soon, after they are back from their honeymoon!This is the last photo I took as I was still working on this quilt until the day before the wedding.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

I'm outside lots this year and it feels so good to get outside and play in dirt!!

Spring is here and we're busy outside with gardening and camping!

I can't remember if I have already posted this, but these two wall quilts are made by me for my friend Myrtle. Myrtle hand beaded the owl and flower, both of these are going to Myrtle's grand-daughters.

Lots quad riders checking out the river a few weeks ago. No more ice on the river, just its usual spring run off water event as in the little ditch run off by Quick Station Rd.

Then new stuff with angels in mind is on my design desk.

And I'm finishing up a Christmas gift for my son, Jon as in the photo below!